Local ballet educator Margaret Lau will host a new chapter of the popular lecture series on ballet appreciation in July, August and September.
 
     Following the theme "Best Loved Pas de Deux", Lau will select and discuss more than 20 signature pas de deux performed by lead male and female dancers in the history of the genre in this series of 10 lectures.
 
     All of the lectures, to be conducted in Cantonese and supplemented with video clips of repertoire, will be held at 7.30pm at AC1, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Details are as follows:
 
July 23 (Thursday)
Topic: "Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker"
Video clips: Mariinsky Ballet (Russia), Bolshoi Ballet (Russia), the Royal Ballet (United Kingdom), Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo (Monaco) and New York City Ballet (United States)
 
July 30 (Thursday)
Topic: "Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux", "After the Rain Pas de Deux", "Rubies" from "Jewels" and "The Flames of Paris"
Video clips: Paris Opera Ballet (France), Mikhailovsky Ballet (Russia), New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet (United States), Bolshoi Ballet and more
 
August 6 (Thursday)
Topic: "The Sleeping Beauty" and "Giselle"
Video clips: The Royal Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin (Germany), Teatro alla Scala Ballet (Italy), Mariinsky Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet
 
August 13 (Thursday)
Topic: "Afternoon of a Faun", "Winter Dreams", "Spartacus" and "Diamonds" from "Jewels"
Video clips: Paris Opera Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, the Royal Ballet and Mikhailovsky Ballet
 
August 20 (Thursday)
Topic: "Coppélia" and "La Fille mal gardée"
Video clips: The Royal Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet
 
August 27 (Thursday)
Topic: "Onegin" and "The Taming of the Shrew"
Video clips: The National Ballet of China, Stuttgart Ballet (Germany), Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo and Bolshoi Ballet
 
September 3 (Thursday)
Topic: "In the Night", "Boléro", "Le Grand Pas de Deux" and "Carmen"
Video clips: Paris Opera Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet and more
 
September 10 (Thursday)
Topic: "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Dream" and "The Little Mermaid"
Video clips: The Hamburg Ballet (Germany), San Francisco Ballet, Teatro alla Scala Ballet, the Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre
 
September 17 (Thursday)
Topic: "Spring and Fall", "Sylvia", "Beethoven Project" and "What Love Tells Me" from "Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler"
Video clips: Paris Opera Ballet and the Hamburg Ballet
 
September 24 (Thursday)
Topic: "Hobson's Choice" and "Manon"
Video clips: Birmingham Royal Ballet (United Kingdom), Paris Opera Ballet and the Royal Ballet
 
     Margaret Lau is a seasoned dance critic on the subject of ballet in Hong Kong. Her published works include "Twinkle Twinkle Dance Stars", "Chinese Ballet Sketches" and "Chinese Dancers in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan". Lau has a passion for ballet and travels extensively to attend and cover dance performances. Her experience and knowledge undoubtedly enhance audiences' understanding for appreciation of ballet performances.
 
     The "Best Loved Pas de Deux" lecture series on appreciating ballet is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Tickets priced at $50 (for each lecture, with free seating) are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/dance/programs_987.html.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 22) that due to big waves, the red flag has been hoisted at Hung Shing Yeh Beach in Islands District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     A Government spokesman today (June 22) said that the Employment Support Scheme (ESS) Secretariat has published the list of the first batch of employers who have received wage subsidies, the amount of subsidies and the total number of committed headcount of employees on the ESS website (www.ess.gov.hk).
 
     "A transparent approach is adopted to enable monitoring of the ESS by employees concerned and the community. The list of the first batch of employers published today covers close to 25 500 employers who receive a total wage subsidy of $4.8 billion with a combined committed headcount exceeding 200 000," the spokesman said.
 
     The applications for the first tranche of ESS was closed after midnight on June 14. The Government received a total of 168 799 applications from employers, which accounts for about two-third of the eligible employers. We have disbursed a total of $11.4 billion to two batches of 59 500 employers in the past two weeks, involving 490 000 committed headcount of employees. Ninety-eight per cent of the two batches of employers are micro, small or medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 50 employees. Another list of employers will be published after the wage subsidies have been deposited into the designated bank accounts of the second batch of employers. We will expeditiously process the remaining applications and disburse the wage subsidies to successful employers as soon as possible.
 
     The spokesman reminded again that the relevant applicants who received follow-up emails from the ESS Secretariat or the processing agent to respond to the emails or/and provide necessary information before the specified deadline. Otherwise the ESS Secretariat or the processing agent would not be able to further process the relevant applications.
 
     Employers who have received the wage subsidies must comply with the undertakings – the number of employees on the payroll in any one month of the three-month subsidy period (i.e. June to August 2020) must not be less than the total number of paid and unpaid employees in March 2020, and the subsidy for each month of the subsidy period should be fully spent on paying the wages of employees in the same month.
 
     "If the number of employees on the payroll in any one month of the subsidy period is less than the number of paid and unpaid employees in March 2020, the employer receiving wage subsidies will have to pay a penalty to the Government. Furthermore, during the three-month subsidy period, if an employer fails to use all the wage subsidies received for a particular month to pay the wages of the employees in the same month, the Government will claw back the unspent balance of the subsidy," the spokesman stressed.
 
     Employers participating in MPF schemes should note that the processing agent will perform auditing to check whether or not the relevant employers have spent all the wage subsidies received during the subsidy period on paying wages to their employees against the relevant income and the total number of paid employees as shown on the monthly MPF record certificates provided by the MPF trustees. The processing agent will also compare this information with the total number of employees (whether paid or unpaid) as shown on the MPF record certificates in March 2020 to see whether the employers have made any redundancies.
 
     "During the subsidy period, the employers must remit to MPF trustees the mandatory contributions for their employees as well as setting up MPF accounts and make contributions for newly recruited employees on or before the contribution day of each contribution period. In other words, the opening of MPF accounts for new employees and remittance of contributions to MPF trustees for paid employees for June, July and August should be done on or before July 10, August 10 and September 10 respectively, so as to ensure that the information of relevant employees could be reflected in the MPF record certificates of the relevant months. Otherwise, the employees concerned would not be counted towards the total number of paid employees," the spokesman reminded.
 
     Moreover, employers who have received subsidies should provide the basic salaries of employees aged 65 or above (whether or not voluntary contributions have been made) in their remittance statements to their MPF trustees during the subsidy period, so as to show that salaries have been paid to the relevant employees in the relevant months. Otherwise, the employees concerned will not be counted towards the total number of paid employees.
 
     Should an employer be found to have abused or violated the conditions of the ESS, the employees concerned or members of the public may report to the ESS Secretariat who will proactively follow up on the irregularity. For enquiries relating to provisions under the Employment Ordinance or conditions of employment, please contact the Labour Relations Division (LRD) of the Labour Department.
 
     The Government is reviewing the experience and arrangement of the first tranche of the ESS and will later announce the details of the second tranche of the ESS, which aims to disburse subsidies in September this year for paying the wages of September to November 2020.

     The Labour Department (LD) announced today (June 22) that it has launched the 2020 Working Hours Situation Household Survey to collect information on the working hours situation of the local workforce and their views on working hours arrangements. The information collected will assist the Government in formulating working hours policy and implementing related education and publicity activities to promote a family-friendly employment culture.

     The LD has commissioned a research firm to conduct the survey. Participating living quarters have been selected from the database of the Census and Statistics Department using a scientific sampling method. All eligible household members living in the quarters will be invited to participate in the survey. The LD appeals to the selected households to actively support and take part in the survey.

     The selected households will be informed of the survey arrangement via notification letters. Each visiting enumerator will carry an Enumerator Identity Card issued by the LD and the commissioned research firm for verification.

     The personal and household data collected in the survey will be kept in strict confidence. All questionnaires will be destroyed within 12 months after the end of the survey period.

     Enquiries regarding the survey may be directed to the enquiry hotline of the commissioned research firm (Tel: 3900 1220) or the Working Hours Policy Division of the LD (Tel: 3586 8189). For more information about the survey, please visit the LD's webpage at www.labour.gov.hk/eng/plan/Working_Hours_Situation_Household_Survey.htm.

      As the Hong Kong Observatory has issued the Very Hot Weather Warning, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and employees to take appropriate precautions to prevent heat stroke when working in a hot or humid environment.
 
     Heat stroke could occur if an employee works in a hot or humid environment for prolonged periods of time, as the body may fail to regulate its temperature by effective heat dissipation through sweating.
 
     The symptoms of heat-related illnesses include feeling thirsty, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, muscle spasm or even mental confusion, and loss of consciousness or convulsion in severe cases.
 
     Construction workers, cleaning workers, kitchen workers and porters, for example, are more prone to heat stroke as they may be working for long hours in such an environment, especially if appropriate preventive measures have not been taken.
 
     The LD reminds employers to arrange for a suitable assessment of the risk of heat stress in the work environment and take appropriate preventive measures. The LD has produced two leaflets entitled "Checklist for Heat Stress Assessment at Construction Sites" and "Checklist for Heat Stress Assessment at Outdoor Cleansing Workplaces" respectively. Employers engaged in construction or outdoor cleaning work are advised to refer to these checklists in assessing the risk of heat stress at their workplaces. As for heat stress assessment at a workplace in general, employers can refer to a booklet entitled "Risk Assessment for the Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work" produced by the LD.
 
     The LD also reminds employers and employees to take the following precautions to prevent heat stroke:
 
Employers
———
(1) Take heed of the weather report and adopt shift work arrangements for employees to reduce their exposure to the hot environment, or arrange appropriate rest breaks for them during very hot periods;
(2) Avoid working under direct sunlight and set up temporary sunshade wherever possible;
(3) Provide cool potable water for employees at all times during work. If necessary, provide drinks containing electrolyte for employees to replenish loss of salt during profuse sweating;
(4) Minimise physical demands by using tools or mechanical aids at work;
(5) Increase air flow by enhancing ventilation or air-conditioning as appropriate;
(6) Isolate heat-generating facilities at the workplace and use insulating materials to minimise heat dissipation to the other work areas; and
(7) Provide relevant information and training for employees on heat stroke such as preventive measures and first aid treatment.
 
Employees
———
(1) Wear clothing made of suitable materials (for example, cotton) that is loose-fitting and light-coloured to help heat dissipation, minimise heat absorption and allow sweat evaporation;
(2) Wear a wide-brimmed hat when working outdoors;
(3) Drink plenty of water or other appropriate beverages with electrolytes to replenish the fluids and salt lost through sweating; and
(4) Whenever there are any symptoms of heat-related illnesses, rest in a cool or shady place and drink water, inform supervisors to take appropriate actions immediately.
 
     Some employees may have difficulty in adapting to a hot working environment owing to their own health conditions. Employers should take this into account and consider the recommendations of their doctors when assigning work to these employees.
 
     In addition to the publications on risk assessment, the LD has produced a leaflet entitled "Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work in a Hot Environment" for the public. The publications can be obtained free of charge from the offices of the Occupational Health Service of the LD, or downloaded from the department's webpage at www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/content2_9.htm.
 
     The LD organises occupational health talks in public places and at its own training venues regularly to raise employers' and employees' awareness of occupational health. Details of health talks on the prevention of heat stroke at work in a hot environment from June to August are as follows:
 
(A)
Dates: June 29, July 7 and 27, August 7, 13 and 28, September 7 and 18
(am);
June 23, July 3, 20 and 29, August 4, 10 and 20, September 3, 14 and 24
(pm)
Time: Half-day
Venue: Occupational Safety and Health Training Centre of the Labour Department, 13/F, KOLOUR·Tsuen Wan I, 68 Chung On Street, Tsuen Wan, New Territories
 
(B)
Dates: July 6 and 24, August 4 and 20
Time: Half-day, morning
Venue: Occupational Safety and Health Centre of the Labour Department, G/F,
Kwun Tong Community Health Centre Building, 60 Hip Wo Street, Kwun Tong
(MTR Kwun Tong Station Exit A1)
 
(C)
Date: July 20 and August 3
Time: 3pm to 4.30pm
Venue: Lecture Hall, Hong Kong Space Museum, 10 Salisbury Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon (MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station Exit E)

(Taking into account the latest epidemic development, relevant infection control measures are adopted in different venues of health talks.)

     For enrolment or enquiries about these occupational health talks, please call 2852 4040 or 2361 8240 (for talks organised at the Occupational Safety and Health Centre). Moreover, the LD also provides an outreach health education service and occupational health nurses will, on invitation, disseminate occupational health information at workplaces at a convenient time. Please contact the nursing officer at 2852 4062 for details. All these health talks are free of charge.